Crimps and Lies
by thedoctorwhomad
Summary: This is Vince's thought process in the opening scene of "The Power of the Crimp" S3 Ep3. Very angsty. My first ever fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy it, Reviews would be much appreciated. Tigs x (No copyright intended, this is all fictional)


**Crimps and Lies. **

**(This is my first fanfic, just a description of Vince's Thought process during the episode " The power of the Crimp." It's way more angsty then I intended it to be... I've been reading fanfics for years but thought I'd give writing my own one a go. So, as a new writer on this site, all reviews would be much appreciated. Hope you enjoy it! x )**

The snow gently drifted down. Collecting underneath the glare of the Nabootique window lights. High heeled boots crunched it down further into the pavement. Leaving a trail of deep footsteps.

The bell jingled above his head as Vince pushed the door open and stepped into the warmth of the shop. He shut out the cold and turned around. Instantly met by the expectant face of Howard Moon.

Howard. His best friend. The man with the small eyes. He isn't fashionable, he isn't cool. But he was always there. A constant in the life of Vince Noir.

"Come on then let's have it."

Dazed and afraid that his voice will crack, Vince only manages a,

"Hmm?"

Luckily Howard takes this as an opportunity to talk more.

"Every day you're late. And every day another crazy excuse. What is it this time?"

His head is aching. He feels spacey and, wrong. He hangs up his coat on the hook as he listens to Howard's rant. Only just picking up on the words.

"What do you mean?" He asks. Not in the mood for what he can tell is a possible argument. He doesn't have the energy.

"What, the lego avalanche trapped you did it?"

He goes for the defensive, monosyllabic answer.

"No." With shaky legs he walks over to the chair by the window. Facing away from Howard. So he doesn't have to show his face or pretend he's listening. He settles into the chair and stares down at the ground, lost in thought.

"No? Pyjamas turned into Nitrogen? You got stuck on the ceiling of your bedroom? Hmm? A giant, Kingfisher came into your room and pecked you into the duvet?"

He puts one hand to my head to try and stop the constant banging ache. Howard continues to talk, but it just sounds like white noise.

"Got your, ehh, jodhpurs caught on a, magic hedgehog?..I write 'em down you know." He says, waving a small black book through the air as he clutches it. "What is it? A scarecrow took you to Paris?"

Howard is getting more impatient for an answer.

"I just had some stuff to do that's all." He says is dismissively, like it was nothing.

"That's not funny! That's not even going in the book that's awful!" Exclaims Howard. He's speaking playfully, but his tone is on the verge of angry.

Vince is drifting further away from reality, in a trance of deep thought. He hears himself say,

"Not everything has to be funny you know. Sometimes things can take a turn for the worst. Colours can fade to black…"

"Have you got my script?"

Vince doesn't hear this remark. Not that it means anything anyway. He pauses, takes a breath and quietly whispers,

"Something bad's 'append to me 'Oward." He's about the cry. He can feel it. The pricks in his eye and the burning sensation in his throat as he fights back tears. Howard looks concerned. His eyes made even smaller by the worried frown that's beginning to form. He tries to be optimistic, to cheer up his friend. If Vince is sad, the whole world turns grey.

"Nothing bad happens to you, you're made of sunshine Vince!" Vince is getting sucked deeper down into his thoughts. Howard feels like a shadow, just moving in the background. Vince is tired of being happy. Of constantly having to smile. He feels exhausted.

"Bad things can happen to sunshine people you know." He whispers.

"No, bad things happen to me, not you, that's how it works round here." He can hear the panic in Howard's voice as his words collide together and jumble. Vince takes a deep breath, forcing himself to talk.

"...I've got some bad news, I don't even know where to begin…"

One step closer to telling his best friend everything. One step closer to becoming a vulnerable shell, in need of constant comfort and support. Does his really want this? He could slap on a fake smile and bounce away like none of this conversation ever happened. They wouldn't ever have to talk about it again. He could deteriorate peacefully, and privately… Howard's alarmed voice cuts into his trail of wishful thinking.

"Hey… this isn't like you.. what's the matter?.. What's up?"

He couldn't do that to Howard. He knows his best friend is listing through all the worst possible situations. Trying to figure out which one Vince is going through. Vince swallows, and the words that have been clawing up his throat finally escape.

"...I felt like there was something wrong for a while, but, I went to the doctors..." Howard is instantly by his side. And Vince feels the anxious stare burning into his back.

"Oh Christ." The short interruption of two words uttered from Howard's mouth and the situation feels even more surreal.

"He's confirmed the worst."

A hand is instantly on Vince's shoulder. It feels clammy and shaky, and it anchors Vince. He knows that Howard is scared. Physical contact is one of his many boundaries.

"Hey, I'm here for you" The words sound sincere. But Vince can't resist looking up at his friend. He puts his hand on Howard's. Making sure his friend is real.

"Do you mean that Howard?" He asks, looking him straight in the eye. With only a slight shake in his voice that he manages to cover up Howard looks down at Vince.

"Of course I do it's just you and me all the way, what's the problem? What is it?" Again, his words flurry past each other, as if they want to get out before the opportunity's gone.

At the last minute, the point where he's about to tell Howard everything, he changes his mind. And the words he was planning to say are replaced by new ones. He finds another excuse to tell his friend. Another lie. The words slip off his tongue so easily. He's used to lying every day. So why should this be any different?

If Howard ever knew the truth…

Well, he just couldn't put him through that excruciating pain.

"Someone's copying me." He says lamely.

And the cold tea dripping down his face seconds later tells him that Howard believes him.


End file.
